First brew ever, 3.5lbs honey. 25 raisins from raisin bran cereal, 68oz spring water, 1 packet meijers dry yeast! Threw it in a jug, three days later I opened it and added 1box of raisins and one orange! I didn't have a hydrometer to start but since purchased one! After 7 days I checked s.g. to syphon off sediment but S.g. is at 1.008 what do I do

Marshmallow Blue

04-11-2013, 03:22 PM

wait a few days and check it again. If it hasn't moved, your fermentation is probably done. If it has moved, then its going to be done soon anyways. Since you've already racked (siphoned to another container), nothing to do but sit on your hands and wait for it to clear up real pretty. Then when you think it's really clear enough to bottle. Wait another month. < Repeat until you cant stand it anymore! and bottle.

Welcome to Gotmead and the addiction.

tjpletch

04-11-2013, 03:36 PM

I held off racking it and returned the airlock! Its still bubbling about 25 30 bubbles a minute

fatbloke

04-13-2013, 07:46 AM

I held off racking it and returned the airlock! Its still bubbling about 25 30 bubbles a minute
Well bubble rate is a very poor guide as it just confirms that something is releasing gas.

You did a good thing already by getting a hydrometer.

Now I don't know that yeast, is it bread or wine or what ?

Your ingredients sound like a JAO batch. So with that in mind, is the orange a whole one sliced up ?

Because when people make JAO but sub the yeast for wine yeast or just have it go dry, they learn its not a good dry recipe........

Because if the yeast ferments all the sugar (or even most of it) the bitterness from the orange pith becomes the dominant/up front taste.

This isn't so much of an issue if you let the batch finish the ferment, then hit it with stabilising chems (sulphite and sorbate) then back sweeten to at least 1.020, probably higher, to balance it and mask the bitterness with sweetness. Then just leave it to clear naturally.